Rechargable flashlight

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a flashlight having a body with a light means at one end, a battery, and a circuit therebetween, so that when said circuit is closed said light means will generate light; recharging terminals for recharging said battery and an adaptor having electrical connectors for connecting to a power supply; structural connection means on said body and or said adaptor to releasably connect said body and said adaptor; and electrical connection means on both said body and said adaptor to releasably electrically connect said terminals and said adaptor. The present invention also provides a flashlight having a body with a light means at one end, a battery, and a circuit therebetween, so that when said circuit is closed said light means will generate light; said light means including a conical reflector, a white light LED emitting a conical light output and a double convex lens portion, said double convex lens portion being located away from said LED so that the outside diameter of said double convex lens portion will a circle of light from said LED which is of substantially the same diameter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to rechargeable flashlights, their use andoperation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Rechargeable flashlights have been known for a considerable time.Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,540 is a rechargeable flashlight havinga plug unit supported in the flashlight housing for rotation between anon-charging position, in which blades of the plug unit are retractedinto the housing, and a charging position in which the blades areprojecting from the housing for insertion into an AC outlet. The plugunit cooperates with a switch unit in the housing for connecting arechargeable battery to a bulb circuit and disconnecting the batteryfrom a charging and indicating circuit when the plug unit is in thenon-charging position. The switch unit also disconnects the battery fromthe bulb circuit and connects the battery to the charging circuit andindicating circuit when the plug unit is in the charging position. Thisdocument teaches that the plug unit can be rotated into and out of thebody of the flashlight while remaining connected thereto.

Another flashlight is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,790 which has arechargeable power pack or cartridge which discloses a plug structurefor use with standard electricity sockets or supply outlets, whereas thepower cartridge also has a shape which allows the plug structure to beutilised for example with a cigarette lighter outlet of a motor vehicleso that the user has the option of recharging from either electricitysupply outlets or from a cigarette lighter outlet of a motor vehicle ora boat. The battery is removed from the flashlight as it is a part ofthe power pack for recharging purposes. The construction thus can resultin the separation of the power pack from the flashlight during therecharging process, which will decrease the ready to use state of theflashlight by comparison to the flashlight disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,847,540.

The applicant does not concede that the prior art discussed above formspart of the common general knowledge in the art of the skilled addresseethat the priority date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a flashlight having: a body with a lightmeans at one end, a battery, and a circuit therebetween, so that whensaid circuit is closed said light means will generate light; rechargingterminals for recharging said battery and an adaptor having electricalconnectors for connecting the adaptor to a power supply; structuralconnection means on said body and/or said adaptor to releasably connectsaid body and said adaptor; and electrical connection means on both saidbody and said adaptor to releasably electrically connect said terminalsand said adaptor; said recharging terminals being able to be received insaid adaptor and said electrical connectors being able to be received insaid body when said adaptor is not in use for recharging.

The adaptor and the body have said structural connection meansdisconnected in order for said electrical connection means toelectrically connect said terminals and said adaptor.

The structural connection means can include a female portion on one ofsaid body or said adaptor, with the other having a male portion. Thefemale portion or said male portion when present on said body has saidelectrical connectors extending therefrom. The female portion or themale portion of said adaptor has said electrical connectors extendingtherefrom.

The female portion or male portion said body can include cavities toreceive said electrical connectors.

The female portion or male portion of said adaptor can include cavitiesto receive said terminals.

The adaptor can be shaped so that when said structural connection meansconnect said body and said adaptor, said adaptor is of a shape whichsubstantially matches the shape of said body in the vicinity of saidadaptor.

The adaptor can be shaped so that when said structural connection meansconnects said body and said adaptor is the rear part of the body.

The adaptor can include a socket to receive said recharging terminals.

When said electrical connectors are in a power supply socket with avertically oriented front face, said adaptor can have an upper face intowhich said rechargeable terminals are inserted, the upper face being atan angle to the horizontal so that a line normal to the upper faceextends away from the adaptor on a divergent path away from thevertical.

The body can have a female portion and said adaptor can have a maleportion.

The male portion can be of a shape and or size to fit between saidrecharging terminals.

The adaptor can include a hinged cover to overlay said electricalconnection means on said adaptor.

The hinged cover can act to limit movement of said flashlight on saidadaptor when they are electrically connected.

The adaptor can have a first position relative to the body to enablerecharging of the battery in which the recharging terminals are receivedin the adaptor, and another, second position relative to the body, forwhen the adaptor is not in use for recharging the battery, in which theelectrical connectors are received in the body.

The present invention also provides a flashlight having a body with alight means at one end, a battery, and a circuit therebetween, so thatwhen said circuit is closed said light means will generate light; saidlight means including a frusto-conical reflector having a central axisand a reflective surface projecting towards the axis, the reflectivesurface being straight when viewed in a cross-section of the reflectortaken through the axis, a white light LED emitting a conical lightoutput and a double convex lens portion, said double convex lens portionbeing located away from said LED so that the outside diameter of saiddouble convex lens portion will be struck by a circle of light from saidLED which is of substantially the same diameter.

Around said double convex lens portion can be a straight sided lens. Thestraight sided lens and said double convex lens portion can beintegrally formed in a single lens member.

A flashlight as claimed in any one of claims 28 to 30 wherein said lightmeans produces a beam emitted from said flashlight which has four bandsof differing light intensity.

Preferably there is a circular centre and at least three annular bandsof light there around.

The circular centre preferably has the highest light intensity relativeto said annular bands. The first band adjacent to said circular centrepreferably has the lowest light intensity relative to said annularbands. The second band adjacent said first band preferably has a lightintensity less than said circular centre but greater than said firstband. The third band adjacent said second band can have a lightintensity less than said second band but greater than said first band.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the present invention, will be described by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a rechargeable flashlight;

FIG. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of the flashlight of FIG. 1with the rear adaptor removed;

FIG. 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the rear adaptor of theflashlight of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates the flashlight of FIG. 1 mounted on the adaptor andpositioned in an electricity socket; FIG. 5 illustrates an adaptorsimilar to FIG. 3 with a cover in the open position.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate perspective views of shutter members;

FIG. 8 illustrates the shutter member of FIG. 6 assembled into anadaptor;

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a flashlight body's end havingthree pins.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a cross section through the forward end of the flashlight ofFIG. 1; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of the light output of the lensassembly of FIG. 12.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a flashlight 10 which has a body 12 with a lensassembly 14 at its forward end. At the top of the body 12 is a threeposition switch 16 and a red LED 18 positioned behind the switch 16.

At the rear of the body 12 is located an adaptor 20. Illustrated in FIG.3 the adaptor 20 has two electrical connectors 22 and 24 for insertioninto a wall socket. The format of the electrical connectors 22 and 24are to suit the spacing and shape required for European wall sockets andit will be understood that the shape and spacing of these can be variedaccording to requirements in various countries around the world.

The connectors 22 and 24 extend away from a hexagonally shaped maleportion 26 which has cut aways 28 and 30 on opposite sides leading to arecess 32 shown on the right side with a similar recess which is notvisible on the left. (A left recess is visible in FIG. 5 and is labelledwith the numeral 33.) The right side 34 of the adaptor 20 as illustratedin FIG. 3 will become the upper surface of the adaptor 20 when theadaptor 20 is in use in a wall socket as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The side 34 has a rotating cover 36 which covers and protects thesockets 38 and 39 in the adaptor 20. In FIG. 5 the cover 36 is rotatedto the open position.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 3, the shape of the adaptor 20 with thecover 36 closed, complements and finishes the rear of the flashlightbody 12. The lines and starting point of the outward surfaces of thefront 45 of the adaptor 20, blend with the lines and finishing point ofthe outward surfaces of the rear 40 of the flashlight body 12.

The rear 40 of the flashlight body 12 has a cavity 42, which has acomplementary shaped hexagonal recess 43 to receive the hexagonal maleportion 26 of the adaptor 20. The recess 43 receives the male portion 26therein whilst the cavities 32 (and 33) at the sides of the hexagonalmale portion 26 receive therein recharging terminals 44 and 46 which areof a generally cylindrical shape, and which project outwardly from thecavity 42. The hexagonal male portion 26 has shallow recesses 51 so thatcomplementary shaped protrusions 53 on the cavity 42 can sit therein tolock the adaptor 20 and body 12 together, until sufficient force isapplied to separate the two components.

While the above discussion and FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 utilise a recess 43and male portion 26 which are generally hexagonal in shape, thishexagonal shape is only a preferment. As can be seen from FIG. 5, adifferent shaped male portion 26A is used.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the side 34, when in situ in a wall socketis upwardly facing. It will also be noted from the side elevation ofFIG. 4, that an imaginary line 48, which is normal or perpendicular tothe side 34, divergently extends away from the adaptor 20, at an angle59 from the vertical 57 represented by the wall 50, to which the socket47 is attached.

This angle 59 also has the same magnitude as the angle 61 which is theangle between the side 34 and the horizontal 63, as shown in FIG. 4.

The angles 59 and 61 are approximately 8° but can be in the range of 5°to 30°. This angle allows the flashlight body, to rest on the adaptor 20in an equilibrium condition due to the flashlight body 12 having acontoured forward end whereby the lighting means and lens assembly 14are oriented at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rest of theflashlight body 12. The cover 36 also opens outwardly to an angle ofsimilar magnitude as angle 59, so as to provide support to the rear end40 of the flashlight body 12, by engaging the face 33, which is locatedon the top (when the flashlight is in the orientation of FIG. 1) of thebody 12. This helps to keep the flashlight 10 in position on the adaptor20 and limits the movement which may separate the flashlight 10 from theadaptor 20. The movement is thus limited to a side to side movement,generally parallel to the wall 50 in which the power socket is located,and not toward or away from the wall 50.

Once the adaptor 20, is located in a power socket 71 which is thenswitched on, then the rechargeable batteries in the flashlight 10 willbe recharged.

During recharging the LED 19 will switch on intermittently. Once fullrecharging has occurred, the LED will be lighted continuously.

Once recharging has occurred, the flashlight can be simply taken off theadaptor 20, and is useable without the adaptor 20 being reconnected tothe rear of the flashlight.

However, for aesthetic purposes the adaptor 20 can be reconnected to therear 40 of the body 12.

The two position switch 16 has an intermediate off position and a firston position which lights the lamp means with a low level current. Thesecond on position will light the lamp means with a relatively highlevel current.

The lamp means is preferably provided by means of 1 or more LEDs.

By using LED's the flashlight will have a relatively long run timebefore the rechargeable batteries are drained.

Alternatively other type of lamp means can be utilised.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the flashlight 10 has the two terminals 44 and46 extending away from the rear thereof. The terminals 44 and 46 aremounted in and extend away from a plug member which is assembled,captured and held by the rear end of the flashlight 10 when it isassembled. However, in another embodiment, an alternative plug member400 as illustrated in FIG. 9 to 11 can be utilised for assembly into,capture and holding by the rear end of the flashlight 10. The plug 400includes the terminals 44 and 46, as well as an additional central pin120. The pin 120 will prevent a terminal 44 or 46 from being insertedinto an aperture 38 or 39 in such a manner that would otherwise have hadthe other terminal 46 or 44 exposed on the outside of the adaptor 20.The pin 120 performs this preventative task because unless the terminals44 and 46 and pin 120 are aligned with apertures 38 and 39 and a thirdaperture 41 (see FIG. 5) then the terminals 44 and 46 will notindividually be able to enter the adaptor 20.

Other means to prevent improper use can be provided such as shutters 100and 130 in FIGS. 6 and 7, which will now be described.

Illustrated in FIG. 6 is a shutter member 100 for use with a flashlighthaving a plug 400 of FIGS. 9 to 11. The shutter 100 has two angled faces102 and 104 at its ends. The angle on the faces 102 and 104 isapproximately 45° to the base of the shutter 100. Between the angledfaces 102 and 104 is a bight 106. The faces 102 and 104 will be engagedby terminals 44 and 46 on the flashlight 10, whereas the bight 106 canreceive central third pin 120. Behind the bight 106 is a three sidedrecess 108 which has a central face 110. The face 110 and recess 108receives the end of a compression spring 114 (see FIG. 8) and provides abearing surface for the end of the spring 114 to push against.

The shutter member 100 can be made of injection moulded plastic andlocated or assembled in the adaptor 20 as illustrated in FIG. 8 so thatthe faces 102 and 104 overlie the contacts (no illustrated) which willbe engaged by terminals 44 and 46. The shutter system 100 can beutilised with a flashlight similar to that of FIG. 2 having only twoterminals (44 and 46) but it is thought to be best used with aflashlight having three pins: namely terminals 44 and 46 and central pin120 (see FIGS. 9, 10 and 11).

The terminals 44 and 46 will pass through apertures 38 and 39 in theadaptor 20 while pin 120 will pass through a central aperture 41 (seeFIG. 5 where it is indicated in dashed linework). The terminals 44 and46 will engage the surfaces 102 and 104 respectively to thereby push theshutter 100 in a rearward direction 112 against the bias of the spring114 which is illustrated in FIG. 8. As the shutter 100 moves in thedirection of arrow 112 further pushing of the rear of the flashlight 10towards the adaptor 20 will mean that the shutter 100 will movecompletely out of the way of the terminals 44 and 46 allowing theterminals 44 and 46 ultimately push past the shutter 100 so as to engagethe contacts located below the shutter 100. As the terminals 44 and 46are moving inward, the pin 120 will simultaneously pass through thecentral aperture 41 and into the bight 106 which will not interfere withthe movement of the shutter 100 in the direction of 112.

When the terminals 44 and 46 push past the shutter 100 and engage thecontacts below the shutter 100 the recharging process can begin once theadaptor 20 is inserted into a power socket, which can then be switchedon.

Illustrated in FIG. 7 is another shutter 130 which has only a centralangled face 132 (being at an angle of approximately 45° to the base ofthe shutter 130) and flat faces 134 and 136 on either side thereof. Theshutter 130 operates in much the same manner as the shutter 100 exceptthat the shutter 130 will move in the direction of arrow 112 only whenthe central pin 120 engages the angled face 132. Thus should the pin 120fracture or otherwise break the terminals 44 and 46 will not cause theshutter 130 to move in the direction 112, as they will perpendicularlyengage the flat faces 134 and 136, thereby preventing access to thecontacts below the shutter 130. Contrasted with this the shutter 100 ofFIG. 6 will continue to perform even if the central pin 120 were notpresent, as the shutter 100 will still move in the rearward direction112. Thus the shutter 130 is inherently better in operation than theshutter 100.

The central pin 120 if utilised with a shutter 100 serves the purpose ofpreventing the terminal 44 or 46 from being placed into one of theapertures 38 or 39 with the other terminal 46 or 44 being left in anexposed condition outside of the adaptor 20. However, in an embodimentwhich utilises the shutter 130, the central pin 120 has the additionalpurpose of moving the shutter 130 to its open condition allowing theterminals 44 and 46 to gain access to the contacts located underneaththe shutter.

Illustrated in FIG. 12 is a cross section through the reflector and lensassembly 14 of flashlight 10 of FIG. 1. As can be seen from FIG. 12flashlight 10 has a lens assembly 14 which consists of a conicalreflector 200 in which is centrally positioned a white LED 202. The lensassembly 14 also includes a lens 204 which has a double convex centrallens portion 206 (which can also be seen in FIG. 1) surrounded by anannular straight sided lens portion 208. The lens 206 is positioned at asuitable distance from the LED 202 so that when the cone angle 210 ofthe LED 202 is taken into consideration, the outside diameter of thedouble convex lens portion 206 is positioned away from the LED 202 sothat it will be struck by the cone of light 212 when the cone has adiameter of substantially the same dimension as the diameter of the lens204. The annular straight sided portion 208 of the lens 204 willtransmit the light from LED 202 which is reflected off the walls 214 ofconical reflector 200. This will produce the effect of a concentratedcentral beam with a less bright halo concentrically arranged around thecentre of the central beam.

It has also been noticed that this reflector and lens assembly 14 willproduce a series of concentric rings as illustrated in FIG. 13, wherebythe centre portion 300 is the brightest with at least three annularbands 301, 302 and 303 around the centre 300. The first annular band 301is a relatively dark ring (darker than the outer two annular bands 302and 303 and the centre portion 300). The second annular band 302 isbrighter than the third annular band 303, but is of less intensity thanthe centre portion 300. This effect has been found to produce a usefullight output even though only relatively little power is being consumedfrom the power source.

The bands 301, 302 and 303 are illustrated as being homogenous, however,in practice the bands 301, 302 and 303 may be interspersed with flecksof light or possibly thin lines of light.

Due to the power plug requirements of some countries, the adaptor usedmay need to be of a shape and size which will not permit the adaptor tobe attached, when not in use, to the rear of the flashlight. Thus suchan adaptor can be stored separately from the flashlight, with an end capbeing provided to cover the terminals 44 and 46 at the rear of theflashlight, when recharging is not required. While some of the featuresof the adaptor 20 would not be required on such an adaptor, such anadaptor can include the shutter systems described above to attempt toprevent misuse.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined hereinextends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individualfeatures mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of thesedifferent combinations constitute various alternative aspects of theinvention.

The foregoing describes embodiments of the present invention andmodifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto,without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1. A flashlight having: a body with a light means at one end, a battery,and a circuit therebetween, so that when said circuit is closed saidlight means will generate light; recharging terminals for rechargingsaid battery and an adaptor having electrical connectors for connectingthe adaptor to a power supply; structural connection means on said bodyand/or said adaptor to releasably connect said body and said adaptor;and electrical connection means on both said body and said adaptor toreleasably electrically connect said terminals and said adaptor, saidrecharging terminals being able to be received in said adaptor and saidelectrical connectors being able to be received in said body when saidadaptor is not in use for recharging.
 2. A flashlight as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said adaptor and said body have said structuralconnection means disconnected in order for said electrical connectionmeans to electrically connect said terminals and said adaptor.
 3. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural connectionmeans includes a female portion on one of said body or said adaptor,with the other having a male portion.
 4. A flashlight as claimed inclaim 3 wherein said female portion or said male portion when present onsaid body has said electrical connectors extending therefrom.
 5. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 3 wherein said female portion or saidmale portion of said adaptor has said electrical connectors extendingtherefrom.
 6. A flashlight as claimed in claim 4 wherein said femaleportion or male portion said body includes cavities to receive saidelectrical connectors.
 7. A flashlight as claimed in claim 5 whereinsaid female portion or male portion said adaptor includes cavities toreceive said terminals.
 8. A flashlight as claimed in claim 5 whereinsaid adaptor is shaped so that when said structural connection meansconnect said body and said adaptor, said adaptor is of a shape whichsubstantially matches the shape of said body in the vicinity of saidadaptor.
 9. A flashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adaptor isshaped so that when said structural connection means connects said bodyand said adaptor, said adaptor is the rear part of the body.
 10. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adaptor includes a socketto receive said recharging terminals.
 11. A flashlight as claimed inclaim 1 wherein when said electrical connectors are in a power supplysocket with a vertically oriented front face, said adaptor has an upperface into which said rechargeable terminals are inserted, the upper facebeing at an angle to the horizontal so that a line normal to the upperface extends away from the adaptor on a divergent path away from thevertical.
 12. A flashlight as claimed in claim 3 wherein said body has afemale portion and said adaptor has a male portion.
 13. A flashlight asclaimed in claim 12 wherein said male portion is of a shape and or sizeto fit between said recharging terminals.
 14. A flashlight as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said adaptor includes a hinged cover to overlay saidelectrical connection means on said adaptor.
 15. A flashlight as claimedin claim 14 wherein said hinged cover acts to limit movement of saidflashlight on said adaptor when they are electrically connected.
 16. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 10 wherein said adaptor includes ashutter to cover contacts used to recharge said flashlight.
 17. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 16 wherein said shutter is spring biasedto a closed condition.
 18. A flashlight as claimed in claim 16 whereinsaid shutter is adapted to be moved to an open condition by means of oneor two pins on said flashlight
 19. A flashlight as claimed in claim 18wherein said shutter includes three regions to interact with arespective pin on said flashlight.
 20. A flashlight as claimed in claim19 wherein a central region includes an angled face to be engaged by acentral pin on said flashlight to thereby assist said pin to push saidshutter from a closed position to an open position.
 21. A flashlight asclaimed in claim 20 wherein a region on either side of said centralregion includes a face perpendicular to the direction of movement ofsaid pins into or out of said adaptor said face being adapted to preventsaid shutter from moving when a pin contacts said face.
 22. A flashlightas claimed in claim 19 wherein a central region includes a bight throughwhich a central pin can pass.
 23. A flashlight as claimed in claim 22wherein there is a region on either side of said central region whichincludes an angled face to assist pins on said flashlight to push saidshutter from a closed position to an open position.
 24. A flashlight asclaimed in claim 1 wherein between said recharging terminals there islocated a central pin which is as coextensive as said terminals.
 25. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 24 wherein said adaptor and said bodyreceives said central pin when making a structural or electricalconnection.
 26. A flashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein saidstructural connection means includes a formation which will allow saidadaptor to be attached to said body in only one orientation.
 27. Aflashlight as claimed in claim 8 wherein said structural connectionmeans includes a formation which will allow said adaptor to be attachedto said body in one of two possible orientations.
 28. A flashlight asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said adaptor has a first position relative tothe body to enable recharging of the battery in which the rechargingterminals are received in the adaptor, and another, second positionrelative to the body, for when the adaptor is not in use for rechargingthe battery, in which said electrical connectors are received in saidbody.